Frankensteins, Sonora Pass Highway, 10/5/02

Fall is the season for this sunny cliff located above Pinecrest Lake. It is surprisingly close to Berkeley - only 165 miles and well less than a 3 hour drive. There were just a few hunters' pickups at the trailhead parking lot. I was to see one hunter (and no climbers) all day.

It is a straightforward and relatively short hike to the top of the cliff. I battled some brush to reach the rap anchors on top of the west face. The place reminds me of Sugarloaf in terms of its angle and density of knobs. I fixed my old 10.5 mm and rapped down to the "second ledge." Then I took two TR laps (belayed with a Gibbs on my 10 mm lead line) each on Mr. Ed (10c **) and Monster Mash (10d *). I tried to look smooth on the final off-fingers moves of the former just in case Royal was watching me from his Pinecrest cabin. The right-facing corner visible in the topo connecting the second and third ledges has been freed recently with a reported grade of 12a. I jugged back up to the third ledge and rapped down the corner to check it out. The corner is clean and steep. There is one 10' section where the crack narrows to fingertips - the obvious crux. I had the interesting thought that had this feature been in Yosemite, it would have been nailed repeatedly in the 1960's, widening the jams and making it easier. I reached the stance at the base of the crux without too much strain. I could stem up ways and make use of some features on the left wall but stalled with about 3' to go. Slump and hang. I tried a number of approaches between extended rest on the rope - I am not strong enough to straight-on lieback the half-finger-tip-wide pods. Finally I found I could put both feet on the left wall and oppose them against my right shoulder on the face. Squirming in this fashion, I could reach a good lock at full extension. Clean liebacking continues to the top. I cannot really offer an informed opinion about the grade but it is plenty hard - probably the hardest all-gear route in the area - and *** for quality. I jugged back to the top and rapped down Root Canal (5.9 ***) placing gear to keep the rope above me. This is an enjoyable pitch with interesting lieback moves using the crack and sharp arete.

Off to the south face, which by this point was getting some shade and a cooling up-valley breeze. I got lost on my initial rappel and wound up starting off the first bolt of Orson Welles (11a *). I grabbed the bolts to control a possible TR swing into space but did get to partially experience the steep knob moves that are the crux. After this, a relatively easy shallow groove and 5 bolts of knobby and lower angle face climbing next to an arete lead to the top. By this time, I had figured out where the Nibbler Arete (10b ***) was, and I rapped straight down to its anchors. Took care to control my rope ends, which were swinging in space below the belay. There are a few moves on big knobs, then thinner moves right next to the arete with air under your heels. There is a bolt right where I thought the thinnest moves were but still, with only 3 bolts (counting the optional intermediate anchor) in perhaps 80', this would be an engaging lead.

I managed the hike out without any brush battles. The hunters appeared not to have been successful. Raced home in time to have dinner with Christine.